The Kerala High Court has taken the extraordinary step of initiating a suo motu Public Interest Litigation to investigate whether Dr. V.A. Arun Kumar, son of former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, secured his position as Director of the Institute of Human Resource Development through political influence.
Justice D.K. Singh raised serious concerns about Kumar’s qualifications, noting that he was allegedly appointed as a clerk in the institution and has no teaching experience. “This Court finds it strange that a ‘clerk’ got ‘promotion because of his political influence and now he is holding the charge of such a prestigious institution (IHRD) as Director,” the judge remarked.
The court emphasized that the IHRD Director’s post is equivalent to a University Vice-Chancellor, which typically requires at least 7 years of teaching experience under UGC regulations.
Court Slams IHRD for Blocking Access to Audit Documents
The High Court expressed strong disapproval of IHRD’s conduct in denying Dr. Vinu Thomas, Dean of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, access to audit documents needed to defend himself against allegations of financial irregularities.
“The conduct of the respondents not allowing the petitioner to take digital copy of the relied on documents…is totally against the law and in violation of the principles of natural justice,” the court stated.
The matter came to light through a writ petition filed by Dr. Thomas, who alleged that IHRD’s Director-in-Charge (Dr. Arun Kumar) was obstructing his ability to prepare a proper defense. The court ordered IHRD to immediately provide digital copies of all relevant documents, noting that “unless and until the incriminating material is put to the delinquent employee, it would not be possible for the delinquent employee to prepare his defence.”
The suo motu PIL will specifically examine:
Whether Dr. Arun Kumar is qualified to hold the Director’s position
Whether his appointment was unduly influenced by his political connections as the son of a former CM
The court directed the Registry to register the case as Dr. Vinu Thomas v Dr. V.A. Arun Kumar and place it before a Division Bench for thorough examination. “Whether the present Director-in-Charge should be allowed to usurp the post of Director of IHRD because of his political influence…is to be looked into,” the order stated.
This development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of political appointments in Kerala’s educational institutions, with the High Court recently expressing concern over 12 universities functioning without regular Vice-Chancellors.
The IHRD case could set important precedents regarding qualifications and appointment processes for leadership positions in government-run educational bodies.
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